Adviser's Manual 360

On January 20, 2025, inauguration day, President Trump issued numerous executive actions, including several immigration-related orders, proclamations, and memoranda. Access them on NAFSA's Executive and Regulatory Actions Under the Second Trump Administration page.

Join us on LinkedIn on January 22 from 1:00-2:00 Eastern as NAFSA CEO Dr. Fanta Aw and policy experts examine the path forward for international education. In this month's #IE30 discussion, we'll be joined by NAFSA board member Ahmad Ezzeddine and Jill Allen Murray and Rachel Banks of NAFSA's Public Policy team to explore priorities, resources, and collaborative opportunities for strengthening the field in this political environment.

Join NAFSA staff members David Fosnocht and Steve Springer on February 13 at 2:00 p.m Eastern for a discussion of student and scholar advising and the new presidential administration. We’ll discuss vehicles an administration can use to effect change, review interests of the prior Trump administration that may be revived, and describe steps you may take to avoid problems. We’ll also note sources you may use to keep up with developments and explain how you can get involved in NAFSA’s advocacy efforts? We also want to hear from you. What are your concerns? What can NAFSA do to support your work during this administration? Register today.

Explore NAFSA's dedicated hub for timely updates, objective analysis, and association advocacy and resources as we navigate policy changes under the new presidential administration.

On January 10, 2025 the Departments of Homeland Security and State announced the addition of Romania to the list of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program. “CBP anticipates the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) online application and mobile application will be updated on or around March 31, 2025.”

A January 8, 2025 update to the USCIS Policy Manual: "Explains that a separate legal entity owned by the beneficiary, such as a corporation or limited liability company, may file a petition on the beneficiary’s behalf; Provides clarifying guidance regarding evidentiary criteria for O-1A and O-1B nonimmigrants; Adds examples of relevant evidence that may be submitted by an interested U.S. government agency; Provides an example of an occupational change within a technological field; and Clarifies the circumstances under which USCIS limits an extension of stay to 1 year."

A newly revised 01/17/25 edition of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, will be required for all petitions using that form beginning January 17, 2025. There is no grace period for the revised edition of Form I-129. The current (04/01/24) edition of the form must be used for all petitions received through January 16, 2025, but effective January 17, 2025 USCIS will only accept the 01/17/25 version of the form and will reject Form I-129 petitions received using the 04/01/24 edition. USCIS has provided a link to a preview of the new 01/17/25 edition of Form I-129

The new URL for accessing the SEVIS production environment is https://sevis.ice.gov. A System Note on the SEVIS login page states: "IMPORTANT: The SEVIS Production environment and URL migration was successful. You should begin using https://sevis.ice.gov for SEVIS Production access." Through February 28, 2025 SEVIS users can log in to either the prior or the new URL. Starting March 1, 2025 users will only be able to access SEVIS from the new URL.

On December 18, 2024, USCIS published the final rule titled Modernizing H-1B Requirements, Providing Flexibility in the F-1 Program, and Program Improvements Affecting Other Nonimmigrant Workers. The rule is effective 30 days later, on January 17, 2025. It includes revisions such as changing the F-1/H-1B cap-gap end date from October 1 (the first day of the fiscal year) to April 1 (six months later), clarifications to the definition of H-1B "specialty occupation," and other H-1B changes that incorporate into the regulations current USCIS policy like deference to prior USCIS H-1B determinations. The changes will require petitioners to use a new version of Form I-129 starting January 17, 2025 with no grace period for use of prior form editions. Read more on NAFSA's page on the new rule.

On December 13, 2024, the Biden Administration published its Fall 2024 Regulatory Agenda. Twice per year, in the Spring and Fall, all agencies must prepare a regulatory agenda that lists each regulatory action the agency expects to work on within the next 12 months. The agencies' regulatory agendas are then published in the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. Remember that as part of the executive branch of government, an agency's plans arising out of an outgoing administration are always reexamined by an incoming administration.